BEFORE: CEREMONY CONDUCTED FOR THE
INVESTITURE OF CIRCUIT JUDGE
J. TIM STRICKLAND, COUNTY
JUDGES DENNIS P. MALONEY,
RANDALL G. MC DONALD AND
SUSAN WADSWORTH ROBERTS, AND
OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS BEFORE
THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE TENTH
JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF FLORIDA

PLACE: BARTOW CIVIC CENTER
BARTOW, FLORIDA

DATE: JANUARY 4, 1977
9:30 A.M.

TWENTY MINUTES

DURATION:

AS A MEMBER OF THE TRIAL BAR OF THIS COURT I

TAKE GREAT SATISFACTION IN BEING PERMITTED TO PARTICIPATE

IN THIS INVESTITURE CEREMONY FOR FOUR NEW JUDGES OF THIS

CIRCUIT AND FOR THIS COUNTY,

THAT PLEASURE ARISES IN

PART BECAUSE OF A LONG-HELD BELIEF THAT THE CALIBER OF A

STATE'S JUDICIARY IS A PRIME YARDSTICK OF ITS CULTURE,

IN A SOCIETY AS SATURATED IN LAW AS FLORIDA IN A STATE

WITH A BURGEONING POPULATION IN A STATE AS LITIGIOUS AS

FLORIDA HAS BECOME THE CHOICE OF WHICH FLORIDA LAWYER IS

TO SIT ON THE BENCH AT ANY LEVEL ASSUMES PARTICULAR IMPOR-

TANCE AND NOT SURPRISINGLY ALMOST ALWAYS AROUSES CONTENTION

AMONG OTHERS AMONG THOSE ALREADY ON THE BENCH THOSE WHO

COMPRISE THE BAR AND THOSE OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO ARE

THEREAFTER TO BE JUDGED BY THE LAWYER SO SELECTED,

PEOPLE OF THIS CIRCUIT AND THIS COUNTY HAVE SELECTED AS

FUTURE ULTIMATE GUARDIANS OF OUR LIBERTIES FOUR LAWYERS -

APPARENTLY WELL QUALIFIED BY EDUCATION EXPERIENCE -

APTITUDE AND CHARACTER TO JOIN THE ILLUSTRIOUS JUDGES WHO

NOW GRACE OUR BENCH.

BUT BEFORE THOSE LAWYERS DEPART THE TRIAL BAR

FOR THE IVORY TOWER INHABITED BY JURISTS PERMIT ME TO

CALL AGAIN TO THEIR ATTENTION SOMETHING WHICH I AM CONFIDENT

IS WELL KNOWN TO EACH OF THEM:

THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL CRITICISM

THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTY THIS CIRCUIT THIS STATE AND THIS

NATION OF OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM BY MANY CITIZENS.

THAT

CRITICISM IS PARTICULARLY PREVALENT IN AT LEAST FOUR BROAD

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THE

GENERAL AREAS THOUGH CERTAINLY NOT EXCLUSIVELY SO;

PERCEIVED FAILURES OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM; GROWING

BACKLOGS OF UNRESOLVED CASES BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL;

UNDUE DELAY AND EXPENSE IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE -

PERHAPS NOTICEABLY SO IN THE SO-CALLED "SMALLER" CONSUMER

DISPUTES WHICH ALSO MUST EMBRACE THE PROBLEMS OCCASIONED BY

INADEQUATE OR UNEQUAL LEGAL REPRESENTATION; AND FINALLY A

BELIEF ON THE PART OF MANY THAT COURTS BY THE EXPANSION OF

THEIR JURISDICTION TO ENCOMPASS ALMOST ALL SOCIETAL PROBLEMS

HAVE ARROGATED TO THEMSELVES MATTERS BEYOND THEIR COMPETENCE

SATISFACTORILY TO HANDLE -- IN OTHER WORDS THAT THE COURTS

BY THEIR OWN MANDATE HAVE GROWN TOO BIG FOR THEIR SYSTEMIC

BRITCHES.

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IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE DURING THE PAST TEN

YEARS FOR NON-LAWYER CITIZENS TO GRIPE TO ME AGAIN AND

AGAIN THAT THE COURTS OF TODAY ARE WITHOUT PORTFOLIO OR

AUTHORITY RUNNING SCHOOLS AND PRESCRIBING CURRICULA -

MANAGING PRISON SYSTEMS FORMULATING BUDGETS AND REGU-

LATING THE ENVIRONMENT,

THE COMPLAINTS OF THOSE NON-

LAWYER CITIZENS HAVE BEEN DIRECTED PRIMARILY AT FEDERAL

TRIAL COURTS THOUGH CERTAINLY NOT EXCLUSIVELY SO, INDEED

IN THEIR EYES ALL COURTS BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL SOON

RUN TOGETHER AS A GENERIC ENTITY.

BOTH THE STATE AND

FEDERAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS ARE SUSPECT,

BUT OF COURSE THAT LAY VERSION OF WHAT COURTS ARE

DOING WRONG MAY CONCEAL MORE THAN IT REVEALS,

IT SEEMS

TO ME THAT IN VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE CASES IN WHICH COURTS

HAVE ENTERED AREAS THAT MORE PROPERLY AND MORE EFFECTIVELY

CAN BE DEALT WITH IN THE OTHER BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT -

THE COURTS HAVE DONE SO BY REASON OF THE DEFAULT OF THE

LEGISLATIVE AND THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS,

IF A JUDGE MUST INSPECT THE OPERATING CONDITIONS

OF A PRISON A HOSPITAL OR A WELFARE OFFICE TO DETERMINE

WHETHER CONSTITUTIONAL STATUTORY OR COMMON LAW RIGHTS

ARE BEING INVADED WHAT ELSE CAN SHE OR HE DO BUT PERFORM

HER OR HIS DUTY?

AND IF SHE OR HE FINDS THAT RIGHTS ARE

BEING ABRIDGED WHAT ELSE CAN SHE OR HE DO BUT SEEK TO

CORRECT THE ABUSES?

SO BEFORE APOLOGIZING TOO MUCH FOR THIS

PARTICULAR AREA OF PERHAPS JUSTIFIED PUBLIC CARPING AT THE

COURTS I SUGGEST THAT THE CAUSE TODAY OF MUCH OF THAT

ADVERSE COMMENT ABOUT JUDGES AND COURTS SPRINGS MORE FROM

THE PAST SUCCESSES OF OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM THAN ITS FAILURES.

THE TRUTH IS THAT THE COURTS IN THE MAIN HAVE PERFORMED

WELL -- PERHAPS TOO WELL,

NEVERTHELESS IN THIS TIME OF PERIODIC STOCK-

TAKING WE SHOULD PERHAPS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A

BURGEONING BELIEF THAT:

QUANTITATIVELY THE COURTS ARE

CARRYING TOO HEAVY A BURDEN -- AND PROBABLY A BURDEN BEYOND

THE CAPACITY OF MITIGATION BY MERELY INCREASING THE NUMBER

OF JUDGES; AND QUALITATIVELY THE COURTS ARE BEING ASKED

TO SOLVE PROBLEMS FOR WHICH THEY ARE NOT INSTITUTIONALLY

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EQUIPPED OR AT LEAST NOT AS WELL EQUIPPED AS OTHER AREAS

OF GOVERNMENT.

ADMITTEDLY AMERICAN JUDICIAL HISTORY DOES REVEAL

A PATTERN OF PROGRESSIVE JUDICIAL ACTIVISM.

RARELY NOW DO

WE SEE OUR COURTS GOING ALL OUT TO CONFINE THE IMPACT OF A

CONSTITUTIONAL OR STATUTORY DECISION ONLY TO THE CASE AT HAND.

JUDICIAL RESTRAINT MAY WELL BE NOW PRIMARILY TWO WORDS TO

WHICH MOST JUDGES PAY LIP SERVICE BUT TO WHICH THEY DO NOT

RENDER TRUE FEALTY.

DURING THE PERIOD WHICH HAS ELAPSED

SINCE WORLD WAR II OUR COURTS INCREASINGLY HAVE BEEN SOLICITED

BY THOSE OTHERWISE UNABLE TO SECURE RELIEF TO BECOME THE

PROBLEM-SOLVERS OF OUR SOCIETY,

NO PROBLEM NOW SEEMS TO

BE BEYOND THE DESIRE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO ENTRUST IT FOR

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THE REASONS FOR THIS DERIVE BOTH

FROM THE CHARACTER OF OUR LEGAL SYSTEM AND FROM THE SOCIAL

AND POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH OUR COURTS FUNCTION. IT

IS QUITE EASY TO DOCUMENT SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSITION THAT THE

AMERICAN PUBLIC TODAY PERCEIVES COURTS AS JACKS-OF-ALL-TRADES -

AVAILABLE TO FURNISH THE ANSWER TO WHATEVER MAY TROUBLE US.

CERTAINLY THERE IS A PUBLIC READINESS TO LOOK TO

JUDGES MORE THAN THE LEGISLATURE OR THE EXECUTIVE FOR

SOLUTIONS TO THE MOST DIFFICULT PUBLIC PROBLEMS.

IT HAS

BEEN SUGGESTED THAT JUDGES AND LAWYERS MIGHT WELL CONGRATULATE

THEMSELVES UPON THAT PUBLIC ATTITUDE AND IN FACT TO TERM IT

A SIGN OF "PUBLIC ACCEPTABILITY" WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF

JUSTICE,

BUT THOSE OF US WHO MAKE OUR LIVING BY WORKING

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SOLUTION TO THE COURTS,

IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM WOULD BE MYOPIC TO ENGAGE IN SUCH SELF-

ADULATION.

WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PROBLEMS WHICH THE

COURTS ARE BEING ASKED TO SOLVE SIMPLY ARE BEYOND THEIR CA-

PACITY AND PERHAPS BEYOND ANY CAPACITY WE MAY GRANT TO THEM.

I MUST POINT OUT THAT THE RESULT IS NOT NECESSARILY A PUBLIC

DISSATISFACTION WITH THE KIND OF JUSTICE THAT THOSE ACTIVITIES

NECESSARILY IMPORT;

THAT DISSATISFACTION IS INSTEAD OC-

CASIONED PRIMARILY BY A FRUSTRATION THAT OTHER GOVERNMENTAL

INSTITUTIONS BETTER QUALIFIED THAN THE COURTS TO ACT HAVE NOT

DONE SO,

IT IS THUS MY PHILOSOPHICAL THESIS POINTEDLY DIRECTED

AT THIS CAPTIVE FORUM OF JURISTS THAT OUR PEOPLE SOON MUST

DECIDE AS A MATTER OF SOCIAL PRINCIPLE WHETHER OUR COURTS

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SHALL CONTINUE ONLY TO DISCHARGE THEIR TRADITIONAL ROLE AS

DISPUTE-RESOLVERS OR ALSO BECOME THE PROBLEM-SOLVERS OF

SOCIETY,

WHEN GENERALLY IN DAYS PAST OUR JUDGES FOLLOWED

THE PRINCIPLE THAT INSOFAR AS POSSIBLE THE DECISION IN A

CONTROVERTED MATTER AT HAND SHOULD DIRECTLY AFFECT ONLY THE

PARTIES TO THE DISPUTE THE ADVERSARY SYSTEM OF THE COMMON

LAW AS A DISPUTE-RESOLVER SEEMED TO ME TO BE CHUGGING ALONG

AT ITS BEST,

A JUDICIAL DECISION BY THE FORCE OF PRECEDENT

OR BY THE PRINCIPLE OF STARE DECISIS DID INDIRECTLY AFFECT

OTHER DISPUTES WITH A FACTUAL OR LEGAL SIMILARITY -- BUT THAT

DECISION WAS NOT THE SAME AS THE FORCE OF A JUDGMENT.

WAS NOT RES JUDICATA BUT AT MOST ONLY STARE DECISIS.

IT

EACH

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NEW DECISION THUS WAS ONLY A SMALL TILE IN A GREAT MOSAIC -

THE DESIGN OF WHICH CHANGED SUBTLY AND GRADUALLY AND THUS

AVOIDED THE DISASTERS WHICH FREQUENTLY OVERTOOK THOSE WHO

DROVE PRINCIPLES TO THE EXTREME END OF THEIR LOGICAL CON-

CLUSIONS.

BUT PROBLEM-SOLVING IS AN ENTERPRISE OF A DIFFERENT

SORT ALTOGETHER. THE JUDGE'S EDICT IS NOT CONFINED TO

THE PARTIES BEFORE THE COURT, THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH

A JUDICIAL PRONOUNCEMENT CANNOT BE CONFINED TO TILE-SIZED

CHANGES,

FREQUENTLY THE DECISION OF THE JUDGE ADMINISTERS

AVULSIVE CHANGES,

PROBLEM-SOLVING IS THUS A CHANCY

BUSINESS REQUIRING IN A DEMOCRACY NOT ONLY WISDOM AND IN-

VENTIVENESS BUT A KEEN PERCEPTION OF THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS.

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OCCASIONALLY THE PROBLEM-SOLVER EVEN TENDS TO BECOME A

CHAMPION OF A CAUSE RATHER THAN A NEUTRAL AND IMPARTIAL

ARBITER,

THE JUDGE'S REWARD THEN COMES FROM POPULAR

ACCLAIM NOT FROM PROFESSIONAL OR ACADEMIC COMMENDATION.

JUDGES BEING HUMAN OFTEN ARE NOT AVERSE TO

THEIR ENLARGED ROLE AND EXPANDED RESPONSIBILITY.

IT IS

EXHILARATING TO ADMINISTER RELIEF TO A UNIVERSE OF VICTIMS -

AND IF SOME ARE UNKNOWN AND UNKNOWABLE THEN TO DISTRIBUTE

LARGESSE TO THE DESERVING,

A GIFTED JUDGE OFTEN FINDS

IT A REWARDING AND SELF-FULFILLING EXPERIENCE TO WRITE A

PRESCRIPTION FOR THE REHABILITATION AND PACIFICATION OF A

LARGE STRIFE-TORN COMMUNITY,

BUT THERE ARE NUMEROUS QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE ALL

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ENCOMPASSING JUDICIAL PRONOUNCEMENTS MADE BY A SINGLE

PERSON ACTING SOMEWHAT AS A MINI-LEGISLATURE WHICH CONTINUE

TO BOTHER ME AS A TRIAL LAWYER RAISED UNDER AN ADVERSARY

TRADITION.

THAT BOTHER EXISTS EVEN THOUGH SOME OF THOSE

JUDICIAL PRONOUNCEMENTS HAVE HAD BRILLIANT RESULTS HAVE

ACHIEVED BENEFICIAL RESULTS WHICH WOULD HAVE PERHAPS BEEN

IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTAIN OTHERWISE THROUGH THE POLITICAL PROCESS,

DO WE AS A PEOPLE REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE ORDINARY -

NORMAL LAWYER SITTING AS A JUDGE HAS ANY SPECIAL APTITUDE

WHICH MAKES HER OR HIM SUITABLE CUSTODIANS OF THE SOLE

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SOLUTION OF SOCIETY'S MOST VEXING

PROBLEMS?

IS ONE LAWYER WITH NARROW SOCIETAL CONTACTS

AND EXPERIENCES CAPABLE OF FINDING A REPRESENTATIVE PUBLIC

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IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE JUDICIAL MACHINERY

WHICH MAKES IT A PECULIARLY SUITABLE INSTRUMENT FOR THE

STUDY AND RESOLUTION OF SUCH PROBLEMS?

INDEED NOT.

IT IS TRADITIONAL FOR EXECUTIVE

COMMISSIONS AND LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES ASSIGNED TO A

PROBLEM-SOLVING MISSION TO REJECT THE JUDICIAL FORMAT -

TO DISPENSE WITH THE RULES OF EVIDENCE TO SHUN THE ADVERSARY

PROCESS.

THIS SUGGESTS TO ME THAT EXPERIENCE DOES NOT

FIND THESE COURTROOM PROCEDURES HELPFUL IN PROBLEM-SOLVING,

IF THAT BE SO WHY DO WE INSIST ON TURNING TO THE COURTS?

IT IS ONE THING FOR JUDGES TO DECIDE BI-PARTY

CONTROVERSIES AND IN SO DOING PRONOUNCE PRINCIPLES WHICH

MAY HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE SOLUTION OF THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM -

CONSENSUS?

SOMETIMES FAVORABLE AND SOMETIMES UNFAVORABLE.

QUITE ANOTHER FOR THE COURTS TO BE BURDENED WITH THE RE-

SPONSIBILITY FOR THE TOTAL SOLUTION OF THE PUBLIC PROBLEMS,

TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE MISCONCEPTION THAT I AM

SUGGESTING DENIAL OF ACCESS TO THE COURTS BY THOSE WHO HAVE

IN RECENT YEARS BEEN BROUGHT BY THE COURTS FROM DARKNESS

INTO LIGHT BY THOSE MINORITIES BY THE FACELESS MILLIONS

WHOSE RIGHTS AS CITIZENS REALLY EXIST FOR THE FIRST TIME ONLY

BECAUSE OF COURT ACTION I REITERATE A FIRM DENIAL, I

URGE ONLY AN EXPLORATION BY OUR PEOPLE BY OUR LAWYERS -

BY OUR ACADEMICIANS BY OUR JUDGES BY OUR LEGISLATORS -

AS A MATTER OF SOCIAL POLICY OF POSSIBLE PROCEDURAL OR

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES WHICH COULD BE MADE IN OUR GOVERNMENTAL

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IT IS

PROCESSES TO ALLEVIATE THOSE BURDENS WHICH THEY AFTER STUDY

AND REFLECTION DETERMINE ARE NOW IMPROPERLY IMPOSED ON THE

COURTS.

I URGE ONLY THAT JUDGES EXERCISE TO THE EXTENT

THEIR JUDICIAL CONSCIENCE WILL PERMIT RESTRAINT THAT THEY

INSOFAR AS FEASIBLE REMAIN DISPUTE-RESOLVERS AND NOT

PROBLEM-SOLVERS.

BUT ENOUGH OF MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY WHICH I HAVE

FOR TOO LONG IMPOSED ON THIS CAPTIVE FORUM AND BACK TO THE

INVESTITURE WHICH BROUGHT US ALL HERE EVEN THOUGH IT IS MY

HOPE THAT THE TWO WILL TIE WELL TOGETHER,

THE JUDICIAL

REPUTATION OF THE FOUR LAWYERS TODAY PLACED ON THE BENCH OF

THIS CIRCUIT AND THIS COUNTY WILL IN SUBSTANTIAL MEASURE BE

ESTABLISHED ON HIS OR HER ABILITY TO DO SPEEDY AND EFFICIENT

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JUSTICE ON A VOLUME BASIS NOT ON PHILOSOPHY ALONE.

FOR ALL THAT I CAN FIND OUT FROM OTHERS BUTTRESSED

BY MY OWN PERSONAL OBSERVATION THE TENTH CIRCUIT AND POLK

COUNTY HAVE FOUR NEW JUDGES WHO POTENTIALLY HAVE THE EX-

PERIENCE TEMPERAMENT SOCIAL UNDERSTANDING AND IN.NATE

ABILITY TO DO THAT JOB TO BE VERY FINE JUDGES,

WHEN

EACH OF THEM CONCLUDED TO SEEK ELECTION TO THE BENCH -

EACH OF THEM WAS RECOGNIZED AS BEING IN THE FOREFRONT OF THE

POLK COUNTY BAR EACH OF THEM WAS ACCEPTED BY OTHER LAWYERS

AS THE PEER OF THAT SMALL GROUP OF LAWYERS IN POLK COUNTY

BEST QUALIFIED TO SIT AS JUDGES.

UNDER OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT JUDGES DO OFTEN

PASS ON THE MOST PROFOUND SOCIAL AND POLITICAL QUESTIONS.

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THE DUTY TO ENFORCE THE STATE AND FEDERAL CONSTITUTION

AFFECTS THE WHOLE ROLE OF ALL JUDGES AND IT SUGGESTS TO

ME THAT OUR JUDGES SHOULD COME FROM A DIVERSITY OF BACK-

GROUNDS,

IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE DISPARATE TALENTS OF

J, TIM STRICKLAND DENNIS P, MALONEY RANDALL G, MC DONALD -

AND SUSAN WADSWORTH ROBERTS WILL ADD IN A MATERIAL WAY TO

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUND JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE WHICH THE

PEOPLE OF THE TENTH CIRCUIT AND THE PEOPLE OF POLK COUNTY

ARE IN FUTURE YEARS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE FROM THEIR COURTS,

WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE WANT IN A JUDGE:

WE WANT

WISE AND GOOD MEN OR WOMEN WHO HAVE DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES

BOTH IN THE FIELD OF LAW AND IN THE WIDER PUBLIC CONSTITUENCY -

FOR THAT ESSENTIAL COMBINATION OF WISDOM JUDGMENT AND FAIRNESS

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THAT MUST GOVERN A VIABLE LEGAL SYSTEM,

THE WORK OF A JUDGE IS BASICALLY REFLECTIVE AND THAT THE

CASES BEFORE HIM OR HER ARE RARELY FLAMBOYANT,

WE KNOW

THAT THE DESIRABLE JUDICIAL QUALITIES INCLUDE MODESTY -

SCHOLARSHIP BALANCE DIGNITY RESTRAINT AND REFLECTION.

BUT ALTHOUGH WE PRESUPPOSE. THAT JUDGES STRICKLAND -

MALONEY MCDONALD AND ROBERTS POSSESS THOSE QUALITIES AT

THIS TIME WHEN THEY EACH RESPECTIVELY ARE ASSUMING A NEW OR

HIGHER JUDICIAL OFFICE WE ALSO KNOW THAT EVEN THE MOST

QUALIFIED LAWYER WHO ASSUMES JUDICIAL OFFICE CANNOT WITH

CONFIDENCE AT THE BEGINNING OF A JUDICIAL CAREER BE CALLED

A GREAT JUDGE, GREAT JUDGE IS A TITLE WHICH CAN ONLY BE

EARNED EARNED BY YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE,

TO CALL THEM

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WE KNOW THAT

GREAT JUDGES NOW WOULD BE A GROSSLY PREMATURE DECISION WHICH

COULD NOT BE BASED ON FACT,

IT IS BOTH PROPER AND APPROPRIATE THAT EACH OF

THEM OVER THE YEARS BE EVALUATED FOR HIS AND HER ABILITIES

AND HIS AND HER PERFORMANCE,

THEIR REPORT CARD AS JUDGES

WILL COME OUT PERIODICALLY BUT THE FINAL EVALUATION MUST

NECESSARILY AWAIT FUTURE EVENTS,

WHILE EACH OF US HERE

TODAY HAVE OUR OWN SPECIFIC IDEAS AND JUDGMENTS ABOUT THE

JUDICIAL POTENTIAL OF JUDGES STRICKLAND MALONEY MC DONALD -

AND ROBERTS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE PRESENT CAPACITIES AS A

LAWYER AND AS A PERSON THEIR FUTURE PERFORMANCE OF HONORABLE

SERVICE ON THIS COURT IS THE ONLY CRITERIA BY WHICH THE FINAL

APPROBATION OF OUR PEOPLE CAN BE OBTAINED,

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BUT KNOWINGLY OF THEIR VIRTUES AND THEIR FAULTS -

WE ASSEMBLED PARTICIPATE IN THIS INVESTITURE CEREMONY HONORING

THESE FOUR JUDGES BELIEVING IN VARYING WAYS THAT EACH TO

A MARKED DEGREE YET DIFFERENT SEEM TO POSSESS THOSE

PRECIOUS QUALITIES WHICH IF PROPERLY EXERCISED WILL PERMIT

EACH OF THEM TO BECOME IN TIME A TRULY FINE JUDGE.

BY EDUCATION BY EXPERIENCE BY APTITUDE BY

TEMPERAMENT BY DEMONSTRATED CHARACTER BY DILIGENT AND

ARDUOUS LABOR J, TIM STRICKLAND DENNIS P. MALONEY -

RANDALL G, MC DONALD AND SUSAN WADSWORTH ROBERTS APPEAR TO

US TO HAVE SERVED THIS STATE AND THIS COUNTY IN SUCH A WAY

THAT EACH OF THEM THROUGH DILIGENT APPLICATION CAN IN HISTORY

JOIN THE MORE MAGNIFICENT OF THE GREAT JUDGES WHO OVER THE

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YEARS HAVE GRACED OR NOW GRACE THIS BENCH.

AS A POLK COUNTY LAWYER AND AS A FLORIDA CITIZEN

AND AS AN AMERICAN I RELISH BEING A PARTICIPANT HERE -

BECAUSE I CHERISH THIS COURT AS AN INSTITUTION AND AS

THE JUDICIAL HOME OF SOME SPLENDID JUDGES WHO TODAY ARE

BEING JOINED BY MEN AND WOMEN WHO I BELIEVE WILL ALSO BE

SPLENDID JUDGES.

THANK YOU,

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SPEECHES OF CHESTERFIELD SMITH

SPEECH NUMBER 169

VOLUME XI

ADDRESS OF:

BEFORE:

CHESTERFIELD SMITH
LAWYER
LAKELAND, FLORIDA

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
OF ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PLACE:

CITRUS CLUB
CNA BUILDING
ORLANDO, FLORIDA

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1977
NOON

DATE:

SUBJECT:

IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN A PRINCIPLE OF
HUMAN RELATIONS, SAID THE OLD PEOPLE,
THAT THE WEAK MUST BE SUBJECT TO THE
STRONG. BUT, SAID THE YOUNG PEOPLE,
MUST IT BE A PRINCIPLE FOR EVERMORE,